You don’t need a lot of gear to be a good swimmer. In fact, you need very little. A pair of good goggles, a swim cap, and a suit. Other things like kickboards,and pull buoys are optional and are provided free of charge at Swimcrest.
Looking for gear? I recommend the following, all of which can be purchased at sites like http://www.swimoutlet.com/swimcrest (where I receive a small payment for every purchase you make) or at local stores like Jonathan’s Sports World:
- Comfortable swimsuits (women)
- Comfortable swimsuits (this is the style my husband prefers)
- Aqua Sphere Goggles
- Swim Caps
If you are looking for books on theory and mechanics, I strongly recommend anything written by my friend Terry:
swimcrest.com 